discussion Dukes of Hazzard

[Guest]

Im going to be building the General Lee from the tv series and can anyone tell me how to build a dirt road with a jump the car is 1:25 scale so how big should I build it.

 

[Guest]

cheapest and easiest way I found Graham to make any dio base is to get some 6mm mdf off cuts from your local B&Q ( cheap as chips ) , you have to cut them to your size but is no hardship I also shanfer the edges ( make them roundish ) , with your project I would use ready mixed tile adhesive again from B&Q the cheapest you can get , next stage I would gaffer tape a 10mm border around the base edge then a light pva coat 50/50 with water then build up the adhesive in stages to what you want , the jump will be the hardest as you have to give it time to dry , a thick amount of adhesive WILL crack don`t worry about just finger fill any cracks when dry with more adhesive , when you have the ground work you wan`t , a coat of brown/mud or sand colour paint then add sand or any of the pigments scatter grass etc available of your choice

at the end remove gaffer tape very gently so it does not lift any of the filler , leaving a nice 10mm border around your dio base , you might get a 101 different answers but this is the method I use and like , with the mdf off cuts and a tub of tile adhesive this can do a lot of dio bases , trust me ,

hope this helps Graham

Richy

 

[Guest]

Re size, (bear in mind I have no experience of building dio's), I'd figure out how much scenery in front, behind, and either side of the vehicle.

Get a visual idea of the road width and then reduce it to 1:25 of it's actual size.

I'd say the above 'how to' is plenty detail to get started on the base once you decide how large the scene is.

 

[Guest]

If it was me building this diorama, I'd concentrate fully on the General Lee first. Once completed, with or without paint, you can use it to gauge much more accurately how wide you want the road, or how long the ramp is going to be etc etc. Then you can draw a basic 1:1 birds-eye-view plan on paper, and work out your measurements, rather than hoping they fit the vehicle after.

For a base, I've been experimenting with a range of materials. From my somewhat limited experience, I've tried cardboard, MDF, and polystyrene. All have worked, but MDF looks by far the best on the final product.

As an alternative method from Richy's, you can also use Modroc to form your base. On my dioramas, I tape down balls of newspaper into the shape of my terrian, then lay Modroc (or Terraforma, I think it's also called. Basically, plaster sheets) over. This is very easy, very cheap, and gives a realistic looking 'bumpy' effect. From there, just paint it a basic colour, and do whatever you want to create the final land effect.

Those are a few basics that may get you started. There's countless ways to make dioramas, so don't be afraid to experiment. Good luck, and keep us updated ;-)